Change the engine air filter and then leave it alone?

How many people here have ever had an air filter be so clogged up that it actually caused the engine to run differently? I bet not very many. When I first got my Civic the air filter was extremely bad, and even still I didn’t notice the engine running badly at all
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FTTSHO said:
I just take my engine air filter out and blow it out with clean compressed air, from clean side to dirty side. Lots of dust comes out, but I make sure the clean side stays clean. Then I use a vacuum to clean the clean side before putting it back in. I never see any dirt or dust in the intake tubing.
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My father and friends think I’m crazy but I shop vac out the lower air box when replacing the air filter
 
Motor oil rookie said:
I read somewhere that when you open the air box to clean the air filter, you introduce more dirt into the engine then the filter would have done in its entire life? So should I put brand new air filter and then leave it alone for 1 year?
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lol what?! :D
unless you live in khartoum with heavy winds i dont think this makes any sense whatsoever.
 
I’m lucky that Subaru filters (FB25 and FA20DIT, at least) can be checked without removing the box. Just remove the “snorkus” and you can see the filter. All you need is a mirror to see the dirtiest part at the bottom. Not full-proof, as an absence of large debris doesn’t mean the filter is necessarily good to go, but it’s a good indicator IMO.
 
I do them every 500 hrs unless it has a gauge and it reads it needs it earlier. If there's an inner filter, usually just leave it till it starts getting dusty.

Have 1 piece of equipment it's getting mostly plugged by 250hrs.
 
Install a filter restriction indicator and check the foam once a year, assuming there's foam, you want to make sure it doesn't deteriorate. The foam starting to rip was the reason I changed the last filter on my truck.
It may seem counter intuitive but slightly dirty filters clean the air better.
 
Motor oil rookie said:
I read somewhere that when you open the air box to clean the air filter, you introduce more dirt into the engine then the filter would have done in its entire life? So should I put brand new air filter and then leave it alone for 1 year?
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Nah, that's untrue unless the outside of the filter housing is a dirty, dusty mess. So simply wipe it all down with a rag before opening up, especially around the seams.

A bit off-topic, as Newton mentioned above with the 90/10 phenomenon, changing one's air filter on a hypothetical annual basis in modern cars would actually be harmful, not helpful, to an engine, crazily enough. New air filters simply don't filter especially well in their first 5,000 miles or so. Too many holes that need to get blocked, essentially.
 
dnewton3 said:
People change air filters WAY too often ... and it can be detrimental to do so.

This is an article written by one of our members (Jim Allen; writer of various automotive articles and published in many magazines and books).

A few key takeaways ...

- 90% of the particulate that a filter will pass happens in the first 10% of it's lifecycle (meaning the more often you change it, the more particulate you allow in).
- as the filter loads, it becomes much more efficient
- the average car filter may have a capacity able to hold many years worth of normal particulate loading; sometimes up to 150 grams
- etc ....

https://www.rv.com/rv/towing/the-truth-about-engine-air-filtersinternal/


Just like changing oil too often is costly, so it changing air filters. And with the added risk of inducing more dirt into the engine.

If you want to mess around with your car, give it a wash instead, and leave the air filter alone!
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If you happen to do UOAs every oil change, would watching the silicon levels be a good indicator of when to change the air filter? Any significant uptick in silicon levels be an indicator that it's time to change it?
 
"Would watching the UOA silicon levels be a good indicator of when to change the air filter?"

I'm not an expert, but I would think silicone levels should remain low whether an air filter was at the beginning or end of its life, and that high silicon mostly relates to a compromised air intake system, a leak. So therefore no, not a good indicator. Perhaps others can confirm.

My replacement indicator is rather crude but I suspect effective. I simply knock 10,000 or 15,000 miles off my "60,000 mile" air filter and replace it early, just to eliminate the possibility of clogging. :-)
 
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TC said:
I'm not an expert, but I would think silicone levels should remain low whether an air filter was at the beginning or end of its life
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Right, and also high silicone means piston wear. I just heard it the other day from that Lake Jr. on youtube. And when engines get broken in the amount of silicone is higher just because of that.
 
It depends on the filter design. The expanded foam seal, I'd leave it alone until it's time to replace. If it has a plastic frame and rubber gasket, then I would open it up more often.

I've been wanting to install a filter minder, but, the airbox top on my car has a charcoal filter that absorbs fuel vapor when the engine is turned off.
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So, I'm paranoid about drilling the air box and plastic shavings fall in and I cannot remove it.
 
Kira said:
Previous posts represent sound practice because the posters are thoughtful and knowledgeable.

However, generally speaking, you don't want to let talentless, careless, possibly irate personnel at quick lube joints "check your air filter" for you as they are known to make mistakes frequently.
These mistakes include failing to seat the filter and lid when they're done or, in the case of air cleaner housings like mine, break hold down hardware.
Using cheaper filter elements with questionable performance and fit is also rife.
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Kira said:
Previous posts represent sound practice because the posters are thoughtful and knowledgeable.

However, generally speaking, you don't want to let talentless, careless, possibly irate personnel at quick lube joints "check your air filter" for you as they are known to make mistakes frequently.
These mistakes include failing to seat the filter and lid when they're done or, in the case of air cleaner housings like mine, break hold down hardware.
Using cheaper filter elements with questionable performance and fit is also rife.
Click to expand...
Yep. My dodge dakota they did not close the box properly. I drove for a little bit and looked under the hood one day. Noticed it. Luckily i did not drive it much as its a 2nd vehicle.
 
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